“Are you hurt?” he asked when they reached his truck.
“Just my pride.” She edged back enough to look up at him, and he noticed a tiny bit of color had come back into her face. “I’m so embarrassed that just happened.”
Since she no longer looked like she might upchuck all over him, he gave into the laugh he’d stifled earlier. “I’m grateful that was all that happened.”
With her arms still around his neck, she gently cuffed the back of his head with her hand. “Stop laughing at me.”
“You have to admit that was pretty funny.”
“I guess,” she said, giving him a smile that showed off her straight, white teeth. “But just remember…what happened in the barn…stays in the barn.”
Grinning, Ian thought about the video Zach had gotten. He decided not to mention it, doubtful anything would ever come from the footage. “My lips are sealed.”
He shouldn’t have mentioned lips. Instantly, his eyes zeroed in on her pretty mouth that was a breath away from his own. With very little effort he could press his lips to hers. See if they were as soft as they looked. It would only be one kiss. Once he got it out of his system, it wouldn’t happen again. At least that’s what he told himself.
Ignoring the diminishing logical part of his brain that said one kiss would never be enough, he dipped his head and was encouraged when Tomi’s lips parted slightly. Tension radiated as his mouth hovered so near hers their breath mingled.
A battle waged inside him. To kiss her, or to not kiss her? The silent argument sounded like a line from Shakespeare. Maybe he’d share it with her sometime. Right now, he could hardly think straight, let alone crack a joke.
He wasn’t sure who made the final move, but the instant his mouth covered hers, Ian didn’t care. He was right…her lips were exceptionally soft. He was also right about one kiss not being enough. It was laughable to ever think one time would get it out of his system. He was hooked and had a feeling he’d be craving her kiss for the rest of his life.
Tomi responded with equal measure, her mouth melding to his in a perfect fit. Heat shot through his veins as her fingers slid along the back of his neck and into his hair. Faint warning bells pinged in his head, trying to remind him why this was a bad idea and to end the kiss, but the endorphins numbing his brain made it easy to dismiss.
Movement from beside him—along with a startled exclamation coming from somewhere behind him—stopped him cold. Ian ripped his mouth away from hers and drew in a ragged breath.
“I’m sorry,” he said, releasing her from his hold, so she stood on her own two feet. “I didn’t mean to do that.”
One of Tomi’s eyebrows lifted in disbelief. “Oh? What did you mean to do?” she asked in a voice edged with a mixture of amusement and sarcasm.
He tried to come up with a plausible answer, even though the question was completely rhetorical. It’s not like he’d tripped and his lips had accidentally fallen on hers.
He’d kissed her. On the job and with an audience.
“Dude, don’t answer that,” Zach said from beside them. “Not unless you want to get slapped.”
A smirk appeared on Tomi’s face before she turned toward Mr. Middleton’s grandson. Ian licked his lips and looked at Zach, hoping the kid hadn’t caught any of that on video. Relief swept through him when he saw Zach’s cell phone wasn’t pointed at them.
“Good advice,” Tomi said, giving the kid a fist-bump.
Zach laughed and opened his mouth to say something else Ian was sure would only add to the awkward situation, but Mrs. Middleton intervened when she called for her grandson to clean up the barn.
Before leaving, Zach looked directly at Ian. “I’ll go clean up Moonbeam’s mess and leave you to clean up yours.” He gave them another hearty chuckle before striding away.
“Forgive my grandson’s manners,” Mrs. Middleton said. She waved her hand in front of her. “Grant and I are going inside the barn to supervise, so you all can go back to do whatever you were doing.”
Ian considered himself a fairly intelligent man. He’d made it through school with nearly all A’s, but for the life of him, he didn’t know what to say. Thank you? No thanks, we’re done?
Mr. and Mrs. Middleton exchanged a smile before they followed their grandson into the barn.
Chancing a glance at Tomi, Ian found her studying him with a wry grin. “Relax, Dr. Davies,” she said as she opened the passenger door to his truck. “It was just a kiss.” Then she climbed onto her seat and pulled the door shut.
Just a kiss? His world had just been turned upside down, and she thought it was just a kiss? As he went around the truck to the driver’s side, he thought about the way she’d kissed him back. That had to mean something, right? Or was she merely just acting?
He didn’t meet her gaze as he climbed in behind the wheel, but he could feel her watching him. The tension was as thick as the stuffy air had been in the barn. He’d made things weird between them, and he had no one to blame but himself. After starting the truck, he turned to look at her. “I think I owe you an apology.”
Her lips tugged up into a half smile. “Didn’t you already do that?”
“It was unprofessional of me,” he said, needing to get his apology out. “And it won’t happen again.”
A flicker of what looked like regret crossed her face. “It won’t?” The tone of her voice didn’t hold a hint of her usual sarcasm. Conflicted about what to believe, Ian held her gaze, trying to get a read on her. Was she being serious or just messing with him? That was the problem with dating an actress—not that they were dating—you never knew when they were acting or genuinely sincere.
Before either one of them spoke again, her phone pinged an incoming text. She glanced at the screen, pressing her mouth into a tight line as she read the message.
“Everything okay?” Ian asked.
Tomi rubbed her lips together and looked at him, vulnerability reflected in her eyes. “Yeah, just another reminder about the film from my co-actor.” He watched her closely and was amazed when he saw her shift into actress mode. With a smile that said she didn’t have a care in the world, she said, “So, are we going fishing or what?”
They didn’t ever make it to his favorite fishing hole. In all his years practicing as a vet, Ian had never had so many emergency calls. They went from one end of the valley to check out a pregnant goat and then to the other end to get an orphan calf to take a bottle after being rejected by a surrogate cow who had lost her baby.
By the end of the day, things were back to normal between him and Tomi. That is if Ian didn’t think about the kiss and how much he wanted to do it again every time she looked at him and smiled.
The sky grew dark as the last rays of light faded behind the mountain range when Ian pulled into the Wesson’s driveway. “Sorry today was so crazy,” he said, prepared to come around to open the door for Tomi.
Without waiting for him, she popped open her door and slid off the seat. “Don’t be sorry.” Her eyes crinkled at the corners. “I learned a lot today.”
Ian sensed she was talking about more than just the animals they’d treated, but without coming out and asking her he couldn’t be sure. Other than being unable to deal with animal excrement and bodily fluids, Tomi could pretty much fake her way through any scenario. She’d effectively made the farmer’s daughter believe her when Tomi said she adored the girl’s smelly hog.
“I guess I’ll see you in the morning?” he said, knowing it was better to keep his mouth shut. The attraction was still there—as was the desire to kiss her again—but he kept his feelings in check. Tomi’s stay here was temporary. Besides, she’d made it perfectly clear she was serious about not wanting any kind of relationship right now.
“Bright and early.” She closed the door and waved, never suggesting they reschedule their fishing date.
It was probably for the best. In fact, Ian would make himself scarce the next couple of days, letting Tomi follow Colby around the office. And
since Dr. Moore was covering emergency calls over the weekend, it would leave Ian free to fish, practice shooting his bow and arrow, and no time to think about kissing Tomi Jensen ever again.
Chapter 11
Are you sure you don’t mind staying with the kids?” Piper asked Tomi for the tenth time in the last hour. “Gabe and I don’t have to use the gift certificate right now. It’s good for another few months.”
“Yes, but you probably won’t have a free babysitter living with you by then.” Tomi extended the handle on the rolling suitcase her sister had packed for the surprise weekend-getaway with her husband. “Go and have fun. The kids and I will be just fine.”
Piper worried her bottom lip as she grasped the handle. “You don’t have to sleep in the tent, you know.”
“I know, but I’ve never camped out before,” Tomi said, dismissing her sister’s concern. Tenting would be a fun adventure, plus it would keep her mind off a certain cowboy veterinarian who was very skilled at kissing. She grew warm just thinking about the amazing kiss that had left her wanting more. Conversely, Ian had promptly apologized for kissing her and then proceeded to act as if it had never happened.
Which was exactly what she needed to do. With the production crew rolling in this weekend, she needed to get her head back in the game of pretending like Jake Kelley was the greatest gift to womankind.
“The tent’s up!” Lindsey shouted as she burst into the room. She hugged Piper around the legs. “You and Daddy can leave now,” she said, obviously excited for the impromptu backyard campout.
The sound of the kitchen door slammed shut. A moment later, Gabe and Shane came in, along with Anastasia. “I helped Dad start the fire,” Shane said, his face glowing with the fascination of fire all boys seem to be born with.
“Awesome,” Tomi said, giving her nephew a high-five. “We’ll roast the hotdogs first.”
Both Shane and Lindsey yipped with excitement as they headed to the kitchen to gather up the food items.
“Thank you so much,” Gabe said, once the kids were out of earshot. “Piper and I appreciate this more than you could ever know.”
“You’re welcome.” After having “the talk” with Shane a few nights earlier, he’d been sulking and shooting glares at his parents whenever they displayed any kind of affection. So, when a client had given Gabe a certificate for a two-night stay at some fancy resort at work today, Tomi had immediately volunteered to watch the kids so the newlyweds could have some time together. Shane had looked mutinous until Tomi reminded him they could have a backyard campout, complete with roasting marshmallows and sleeping in a tent.
The kids started arguing about who got to carry what outside. Tomi saw the telltale sign her sister was about to run interference. “Go, I’ve got this,” she said, motioning for the two of them to leave.
“Thanks again,” Gabe said, taking his wife’s hand to lead her across the floor and out the front door.
“Call if you need us,” Piper said from over her shoulder.
“I will,” Tomi said, waving goodbye as Gabe pulled the door closed. The poor guy had been a single dad for a while now and wasn’t about to turn down the opportunity to be alone with his wife.
“Aunt Tomi,” Lindsey hollered from the kitchen. “Shane says I’m too little to help keep the fire going.”
“She is too little,” Shane said when Tomi entered the kitchen.
Before Lindsey escalated her protest, Tomi put an arm around the little girl’s shoulders. “I’ll bet your brother can teach both of us about fire safety.” She looked at Shane. “Right?”
Shane’s posture straightened as he nodded his head. “Yeah, I can do that.”
“Okay,” Lindsey said with a tiny sniff.
“Great,” Tomi said, giving Lindsey a little squeeze before letting her go. “I guess now is a good time to go over the rules.”
“We have to have rules?” Lindsey asked while her older brother just rolled his eyes.
“Yep.” Tomi held up her index finger. “Number one: you have to stay up past your bedtime and can’t fall asleep until at least after ten.”
Both Shane and Lindsey shared an astonished look as Tomi held up another finger. “Number two: No chores tomorrow. We’re on vacation.”
“I like your rules,” Shane said with a wide grin. “What else?”
“Last,” Tomi said, holding up a third finger. “You have to go with me to Big C’s for dinner tomorrow night for frozen custard, hamburger, and fries.” She threw that last one in there since she and Ian had missed out on eating at the local hamburger joint.
“Yes,” Lindsey cried out as she wrapped her arms around Tomi’s hips. “You’re the bestest aunt in the whole world.”
“And you’re the bestest niece in the whole world.” She winked at Shane. “And you’re the coolest nephew in the whole world.”
That earned her another eye roll, but she let it slide. That was the beauty of being an aunt instead of a parent. She didn’t have to discipline her niece and nephew unless it was truly necessary.
Thankfully, the kids didn’t argue the rest of the night. There was only one minor mishap with a burning marshmallow that nearly started Lindsey’s hair on fire. After that, Tomi paid close attention to the little girl, making sure she kept her marshmallow away from the open flames.
Although she’d given them the green light to stay up past ten, both kids fell asleep by nine-thirty while watching a movie on Tomi’s laptop. She let the movie play out for another five minutes before pausing it to make sure they were really out. When neither child said anything, Tomi closed the laptop and turned on the little lamp plugged into the extension cord. Quietly, she unzipped the door and slipped out of the tent to let Anastasia out of the house one last time.
“Come here, girl,” she said, stepping inside the dimly lit house. The well-behaved dog got out of her doggie bed and walked over to Tomi. Since the yard was fenced in, she didn’t snap on a leash. Besides, Anastasia was too obedient to go rogue on her. “Go potty,” she whispered once they were outside.
While Anastasia made her way to the designated bathroom area, Tomi tipped her head back to take in the Montana night sky. It was beautiful, the stars sparkling like hundreds of diamonds. Back home, she might have the ocean and the frequent incredible sunsets as a backdrop, but there were far too many lights to ever see the stars this clearly.
She shivered as a cool breeze suddenly appeared. Pulling the hoodie closer, she stuck her hands in the pockets and watched as Anastasia sniffed around the yard. The dog settled on a spot and quickly took care of business. Before Tomi could call her back, Anastasia’s body went stiff, her head pointed toward the back of the fence. The dog barked once, and Tomi gave the command for her to quiet. She didn’t want the kids waking up. She had a feeling they wouldn’t go back to sleep as easily.
When Anastasia let out a small whimper, Tomi ventured across the lawn to see what had garnered the dog’s attention. Since none of the neighbors owned dogs, she hoped it was a stray cat. The house variety of cat and not the Montana kind of cat, otherwise known as a cougar.
“What is it, girl?” she asked, wishing the back porch light was brighter. Scanning along the fence line, she was unable to detect any kind of movement.
To her relief, Anastasia lost interest in whatever had alerted her in the first place. The family pet trotted over to stand next to Tomi, ready to be rewarded with words of affirmation and a pat to her head. “Good girl,” Tomi said, giving the dog a good scratch behind her ears. “Let’s go back inside.”
On the way back to the house, Tomi peeked inside the tent window to check on Shane and Lindsey. They were both still asleep. She smiled, hoping she could fall asleep just as easily.
After getting Anastasia settled on her bed, Tomi grabbed a cinnamon-apple muffin from the kitchen countertop her sister had baked from scratch a few hours earlier. Tomi had already had two of them and should probably refrain from indulging in a third.
By the time she rea
ched the tent, she lost the battle and took a small bite, savoring the spiced-apple flavor and moist texture. If she kept eating every delicious thing her sister baked, she’d never fit in her Whisper Falls’ wardrobe. She’d need to ramp up her treadmill time tomorrow morning, especially since she’d promised the kids the works from Big C’s.
Popping the last bite of muffin into her mouth, Tomi stepped inside the tent. The kids were quiet. Everything was quiet. Almost too quiet, now that she thought about it. As she zipped the canvas door shut, it suddenly seemed woefully inadequate to keep them safe during the night. Her eyes scanned the four tent walls, and she questioned her desire to sleep outside when her brother-in-law wasn’t here to protect them if needed. Basically, if someone or something like a wild animal wanted to get inside, it would be easy to do.
Trying not to freak herself out, she quickly changed into her flannel pajama bottoms and then pulled on a clean long-sleeved T-shirt. The whole time she made up her bed, her vivid imagination conjured up thoughts of a huge mountain lion clawing its way in to get them. Or what if a bear decided to show up? Montana and bears were as synonymous as the Pacific Ocean and sharks. Still, how many times had she been in the ocean and never once encountered a shark? Too many to count. The likelihood of being attacked by a bear or cougar wasn’t very high, especially since they were sleeping in the backyard instead of the mountains.
Spreading the sleeping bag on top of the thick memory-foam mattress pad, she pulled the top down to reveal the soft flannel lining. Her bed looked cozy and inviting, easing her earlier fears. She was pretty wiped out after spending yesterday and today at the clinic with Colby Moore. The young veterinarian was fun to be around, not to mention gorgeous. He was also very much in love with his fiancée. Even if he wasn’t taken, Tomi didn’t feel a spark of attraction. Not like she did with his business partner. No matter how many times she told herself Ian was just another guy, she’d catch a glimpse of him and feel those stupid butterflies in her stomach.
Caught Kissing the Cowboy: A Return to Snow Valley Romance Page 10